A Lady of Legacy

Today, I listened for a while to the funeral of Coretta Scott King (widow of Martin Luther King, Jr.). I turned it on with the expectation of listening for just a moment, and instantly I became captivated by the service. I listened to Patricia Lattimore, who was the personal assistant to Mrs. King, and then to Mrs. King's sister, and then to former presidents Carter, Bush, and Clinton. Each of them had some very interesting accounts of the life of this woman, and during some of their stories I couldn't help but wonder what it was like to grow up during the Civil Rights Movement. I was especially moved and brought to tears when listening to the struggles of her husband who was thrown into jail for a trumped-up, secondary charge after being awarded only a few days before the Nobel Peace Prize. I was moved to think of a time when racism and prejudice and hatred for one's fellow image-bearer was so prevalent in our society. My heart grew the heaviest in thinking of how Dr. King was finally struck down in his prime of life by an assassin's bullet, and how his widow would continue the struggle for equal rights in the midst of her deepest mourning.
As I listened intently to these testimonies about Mrs. King and her husband, I also found myself wondering what the world would be like without the Kings. I also reflected on how much the world has changed since the Kings, and how their impact has been felt around the world. Has prejudice been thwarted? By no means. It is still rampant in so many forms today. But I believe that the America I live in today is better than in the era in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived. The words that I am saying are not wholesale endorsements of everything that the Kings stood for or believed, but I believe that their legacy has changed America for the good. It is often incredible to think that although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln in the 1860's, its spirit was not fully realized until the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement beyond the 1960's .

As a caucasian Christian, I am often ashamed of my ancestors and the way they have treated my African-American brother. I observe in horror, at times, the same old forms of prejudice and racism rear their ugly heads. It is hard to believe that there still exist in our country today remnants of the Klu Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi, white supremacists. Nevertheless, I enjoy stories of courage and struggle, in which our country has evolved from its depraved beginnings. As an avid movie fan, I have enjoyed watching movies such as "Glory" and "Remember the Titans," because they portray seminal points in our country's history, where men stood up for human equality .

I guess the ceremonies for Coretta Scott King will soon pass, but her memory and the legacy that she and her husband have left behind will reverberate through the corridors of time. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. King, for fighting for the freedom of every person in this country, regardless of the color of their skin. I am sure you are realizing at this very moment that you are truly "free at last."